


Green Grass of Home

by VeteranKlaus



Series: Marching Drums [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Vietnam, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 02:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18489100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeteranKlaus/pseuds/VeteranKlaus
Summary: Fireworks sound suspiciously like explosions, Klaus thinks.





	Green Grass of Home

It was a warm day. Clear blue skies, refreshing breezes, barbeques and cold beers (or, for the Hargreeves', lemonade) and all. 

They'd stopped the apocalypse and since then, they had all just agreed that they would all stick together at the academy for now. Vanya needed to train her powers and they had a _lot_ of stuff to talk about as a family. Sure, the end of the world might have been averted, but Klaus might even argue that was sometimes the easier part of things. Five had a surprising amount of PTSD hidden in his small, prepubescent body from his first time around in the apocalypse that he was working through, and the family as a whole ended up (slowly, for some) coming to terms with the abuse their beloved father had dealt them as children, and they all were working towards better days, or whatever. Diego was back with his detective lady - Five had transported them back far enough that Diego found her quicker. She had been in critical condition and had to be resuscitated once, but in the end she pulled through. Allison was trying to get custody of Claire once more. Vanya, though focusing on her powers, was also hoping to get a steady job - possibly furthering her music career. Luther had taken to gardening. Klaus managed to physically manifest Ben for longer and longer these days. Five had taken a day trip to 1963 and brought back a particularly dreadful skirt to prove it. Klaus stole the skirt.

All in all, however, the main fact was that they were healing. It was slow going and there were still plenty of arguments, but they were trying. They even cared enough to help Klaus get sober once more. 

Taking advantage of the good weather and acting like a normal family, the group had decided to have a barbeque. Fourth of July and everything, baby. Klaus bought a speaker and put on some music for them in their garden and he was in charge of handing out the drinks while Luther cooked the burgers and sausages. Allison and Vanya were sitting at the little picnic table they'd gotten, talking about some girly stuff that Klaus was more interested in than he let on. Diego was talking to Ben, faintly glowing the same blue as Klaus' hands. Five was reading by himself. Klaus thought he was enjoying this more than he let on.

"How long for the burgers, big guy?" Klaus whined, propping his chin up on his interlocked fingers. Luther shot him a look that translated to  _be patient, Klaus._ Klaus flashed him a charming smile in return.

"If you're that hungry, there are snacks around," Luther told him, pointing a finger at the bowl of ready-salted pringles that was currently being assaulted by Vanya and Allison.

"And take them away from our dear sisters? I'd like to keep my hand," Klaus stated, holding his hands to his chest and shaking his head. Vanya snorted while Allison put on a playful glare, and Klaus mock-flinched away.

"See! Dangerous," he said. Luther rolled his eyes. 

With no promise of food, Klaus let out a dramatic groan and leaned back where he sat on the floor, closing his eyes. "I'm gonna starve to death," he moaned, patting his exposed tummy with a hand, pouting. He cracked open his eyes at the same time as a loud bang - followed by multiple others, dissolving into quieter, echoing, sharp cracks - echoed nearby. 

Klaus could recognise them anywhere, and he immediately threw himself to the ground, hands above his head.

_He was in Vietnam. Gunshots broke the air around him and where he'd been sitting, so stupidly out in the open, moments ago. Had he not ducked when he had, then he would have been dead._

_They were being ambushed. He couldn't see the Viet Cong soldiers in the mess of jungle trees and overgrowth, but he could hear their bullets, their bullets that thudded into the bodies of his comrades. His hand searched the tall grass around him hurriedly, desperately grabbing for his own gun but he must have dropped it. There was a loud crash and an explosion nearby shook the ground, and as dirt flew over him and landed in his hair, Klaus realised he wasn't wearing his helmet. When the fuck did he become so careless? He had seen how easily a mans skull could crack out here, knew that death came quicker to those unequipped, and here he was; lost, unarmed, unprotected, vulnerable._

_"Dave!" Klaus cried out, voice tearing from his throat and past his chapped lips. He crawled forwards, shaking arms pulling him across the ground. He could see bodies and smell napalm._

_"Dave!" He called again, eyes wild. Where was Dave? He had to be near - he had to be close. He had to be. Klaus needed to see him, just a glimpse would be enough as long as it assured him that Dave was alright; still alive and breathing._

_There was another loud crack, so close he yelled in surprise and pressed his face into the ground. His hands clapped over his ears and he couldn't stop shaking. He was going to die out here. The Viet Cong were everywhere, closing in on them, and Klaus had nothing; not even Dave._

_"Klaus? What's -"_

_"Look at me, Klaus -"_

_"Give him some space -"_

_"Panic attack, I think -"_

_"He's sober, asshole -"_

_Klaus' eyebrows furrowed. That... that sounded like his family. Which couldn't be right, because only he had had the briefcase. Only he was in Vietnam._

_There was a hand on his shoulder and when he looked up, it was Ben staring at him._

"Hey, Klaus," he said, gentle. His eyes were warm with worry but he smiled at him. "You with me? Good, that's good. Just breathe, Klaus. You're outside the academy, remember? We're having a barbeque."

Klaus knew that. Of course they were. He felt his cheeks - wet with tears, damnit - burn with shame, but then - more cracks from the fireworks nearby, and Klaus flinched violently, hands holding his head down, and he _whimpered_. 

"I think - I think it's the f-fireworks," Diego said from somewhere behind him. When Ben's hands disappeared through him, Diego stepped forwards, replacing the touch. "Klaus, lets go inside," he urged, and Klaus reached out to grip his wrist. _Alive_ , real, grounding. He nodded and let his brother help him to his feet, though if he kept his knees bent, hand over his head, head ducking down, no one said anything about it. 

They went inside, all of them, and Allison closed the door behind them. For once, Klaus was grateful for the thick walls of the academy. Someone pulled out a seat for him at the dining table and he slumped into it, trembling hands holding onto himself. His cheeks burned furiously and Klaus couldn't believe he'd let that happen - well, he hadn't let it, but still - and irrationally freaked out in front of all his siblings like that.

One of his hands was pried away from himself and given a glass of water, but when it spilled over the rim from all the shaking, whoever it was took it back and held it up to his lips themselves. Klaus gripped onto their forearm with one hand, over closing around theirs, but he drank mouthfuls gratefully. The cup pulled away and got placed on the table next to him. Klaus looked up for once to see it was Vanya who had done that. She offered him a hesitant smile and he returned it.

"What... what was that about?" Luther asked hesitantly, voice surprisingly soft, and Klaus pressed his lips together.

"I, uh - nothing," he dismissed, waving a hand. "I'm fine."

There was a resounding scoff. There was a flash of blue and Five was there with his stupid, knowing eyes. Klaus looked away.

"He served in Vietnam," he said. Silence.

"What?" Luther said, eyebrows raised.

"The Five and Cha-Cha duo, remember them?" Klaus spoke up finally, though stared at his nails. His nail polish was chipped. Everyone nodded.

"The psychos who shot up the place and kidnapped you," Diego said, anger laced in his voice.

"Yeah! Yeah, them!" Klaus confirmed, pointing a finger gun at his brother. "Well, that suitcase they wanted; I stole it. I thought there'd be some money or something in it, but, uh - apparently not! It kinda sent me back in time. During the Vietnam war. I, uh, stayed there for, like, ten months, I guess? It's not a big deal. The fireworks just... caught me off-guard," he shrugged, feigning nonchalance. He knew about his flashbacks, of course. He'd had too many to be comfortable. However, he'd managed to have them at convenient times. He'd been dealing with them by himself, and it was fine. Until now.

"Jesus, Klaus," Diego muttered, running his hands through his hair. Klaus waved his hands out, quick to dismiss him.

"But it's fine! I'm fine! It's not bad; that makes it sound worse than it actually is. I just got caught off guard, y'know?" He said, trying to give a warm smile to his siblings. It seemed to not be convincing.

"Who's Dave?" Vanya asked, and he froze.

"Who's who?" He asked, quiet.

"You were yelling for him. You say his name a lot," she said, shuffling on the spot.

Klaus looked down at the dog tags he'd hardly taken off.

"Dave's.... Dave was in Vietnam," he said, and his lips turned up in the way they always did when he spoke about Dave. "He welcomed me there. He was... he was amazing. I... yeah, I loved him. Then he died," he said. His hands clasped the metal dog tags.

"I'm sorry," Allison said. Klaus didn't meet their pitying eyes. He shrugged.

"I'm trying to reach him now, y'know?" He said. "I've not been able to yet. But I will. It's not... the worst thing," he said dismissively. Allison raised her eyebrows.

"Still," she said, and Klaus hesitantly smiled.

"Thanks," he uttered. 

He missed Dave, sure. God, he missed him so much it hurt, but he was going to see him. He wouldn't stop trying.

"If you want to talk," Diego said, quietly. He put a hand on his shoulder. "We're all here for you now," he said, and when Klaus looked over each of them, he knew they all agreed.

Klaus smiled. "I know... maybe later. Thank you. Luther? Those... those burgers aren't burnt, are they?"

 


End file.
